6 highlights before the ball rolls V.League 2025/26

Millionaire stars flock to V.League 2025/26.

A year ago, V.League was valued at 37.22 million euros by Transfermarkt . However, on July 1, 2025, right after the 2024/25 season ended, V.League was valued at 42.65 million euros. Up to now, the highest tournament in Vietnam has reached 52.44 million euros, an increase of nearly 10 million euros (about 305 billion VND ) in just 1.5 months. This is a record increase, reflecting the attraction of the tournament as well as the ability of clubs to invest heavily.

Among the 14 teams participating in the tournament, defending champion Nam Dinh leads in squad value with 8.21 million euros, up 87.2% compared to the previous year. The squad value of CA TP.HCM also increased by about 78.9%, while CAHN increased by 42% and Hanoi increased by 11.7%.

This explosion in squad value shows that V.League is entering a period of fierce competition. Clubs do not hesitate to spend money to upgrade their squad, aiming for higher goals in the 2025/26 season.

One of the important reasons for the sharp increase in the value of the tournament is the appearance of high-quality foreign players. Statistics from Transfermarkt show that 7/10 of the most expensive players this season are all new players. This clearly reflects the fact that clubs are willing to spend a lot to improve their squad.

V.League prices increase thanks to the spending of clubs.

Of which, Matheus Felipe of CA TP.HCM is valued at 1 million euros, Njabulo Blom of Nam Dinh is valued at 950,000 euros. Newcomer Willian Maranhao of Hanoi is valued at 900,000 euros, while Yevgeniy Serdyuk of Ha Tinh and Caique of Nam Dinh are both valued at 800,000 euros. The continuous attraction of foreign players in the highest value group in V.League history shows the ambition of the teams to reach new heights.

In addition, the new season also witnessed a wave of overseas Vietnamese players arriving with both quantity and quality being outstanding. Chung Nguyen Do, a player who grew up in Europe, plays for Ninh Binh FC. Brandon Ly, who used to play for Burnley U21 team, returned to Vietnam to play for CAHN.

Da Nang added central defender Vadim Nguyen, Nam Dinh had Kevin Pham Ba, while The Cong Viettel recruited three names at the same time: Kyle Colonna, Damian Vu Thanh An and Duong Thanh Tung. The presence of overseas Vietnamese players not only helps increase the quality of the squad but also opens up new tactical colors for the tournament.

7/10 most expensive players are rookies.

Regarding the coaching bench, V.League 2025/26 has up to 5 teams using foreign coaches, including CAHN, Hanoi, The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh FC and Thanh Hoa. The appearance of coaches from many different football backgrounds is expected to bring new tactical thinking, promote the overall development of the tournament, and at the same time enhance the competitiveness in continental arenas.

This season, 14 teams still play a double round-robin, a total of 26 rounds with 182 matches in 10 months. However, if previous seasons only had 1.5 relegation spots, this season, both bottom teams will have to play in the First Division next season. This change makes the relegation battle more fierce when there is no longer a "lifeline" from the play-off.

Organization and technical support have also been upgraded when VPF announced that it will add an additional VAR vehicle, bringing the total number to 5 qualified vehicles that can be applied in all matches. This is an important step to ensure fairness, minimize errors and enhance the professionalism of the tournament.

With a record-breaking market value, a quality foreign and overseas Vietnamese squad, the presence of many foreign coaches, drastic changes in competition formats and support from technology, V.League 2025/26 promises to bring attractive and emotional competitions, not only attracting domestic audiences but also making an impression on international fans.

Source: https://znews.vn/6-diem-nhan-truoc-gio-bong-lan-vleague-202526-post1576894.html